Seniors at The Columbus School are under the clock as the days are numbered until the presentation of their final projects as TCS students. All their hard work during this school year will be reflected in their ISC project.

Every year, seniors embark on a culminating endeavor in their class, Innovation for Social Change (ISC), in which they not only study systems thinking but also try to find solutions. By addressing topics ranging from health to rural education, the Class of 2025 has elevated creativity to new levels. But beyond the glossy presentations and striking prototypes comes a more profound tale of resiliency, uncertainty, and trial and error.

“I’m excited about how it’s evolved, because mainly it used to be just focused on doing internships and businesses and things like that and has evolved into really innovation and transformation, which I think is kind of is first of all, it’s cool that we’re asking our students to graduate, that they innovate and that they apply all their learning, and they kind of apply those 21st Century learning skills that are so important into identifying a need or identifying something that needs to change or can be better. So, I’ve been excited about its growth,” Paul Navarra, High School Principal, said.

Fundamentally, ISC poses a single, seemingly straightforward question to students: How may innovation result in social change? The project serves as the intellectual foundation for the senior year, guiding students through design thinking, iterative testing, and social effect, in addition to tests and essays.

“I view ISC as sort of a development project for certain things we could improve in our community, and I see that because people develop the ISC projects based on things that they like or they’re interested in, and they develop it to improve that spectrum in the community,” Tommaso Orsini, Grade 10, said.

Projects vary significantly; some are collaborating with coffee farms or animal foundations, while others are closely collaborating with governmental institutions in Medellín and Santa Fé de Antioquia to integrate technology, such as computers, into the curriculum. However, they are all connected by empathy-driven innovation.

“To be honest, my mom works in a hotel in the Eje Cafetero, so to me it was also always an inspiration. Seeing her work with like the local tourism and things like that, and especially in the hotel and a coffee farm, so they do like a similar experience to what we would do and this project is driven by something that inspired me a lot because I think it’s a good cause and it’s something like I like,” says Senior Pablo Nicholls about his ISC project.

“So, our project is about taking refurbished and used computers or maybe damaged ones and repair them and deliver them to unserved schools. Public schools in Medellín that don’t have access to technology are our target. We started building our idea in 10th Grade,” says Senior Cristóbal Sierra on his ISC project.

Many agree that there is certainly room for improvement in this initiative over time. “We can do a better job… connecting what we’re learning in different classes to the ISC project, so students can kind of project themselves,” Navarra said.

There is a chaotic axis behind every pitch and purpose of each project. Students frequently start with big ideas that run into ethical, practical, or technical problems. Part of the process involves learning how to change course, or occasionally to start over completely. A lot of people also struggle with team chemistry, time management, and the emotional strain of dealing with complicated societal issues. However, the most significant aspect of the experience turns out to be these very difficulties.

“So I think the biggest issue for us has been the communication with the foundation we are working with. We have been sending emails regularly to the foundation, and the foundation has not been responding. I think that’s the biggest issue. They responded eventually, but it was a lot of hard work trying to get the communication with the foundation,” Senior Cristóbal Sierra said.

“Some of the hardest difficulties have been communication with the sponsors… also disagreements in the group,” Nicholls added.

Teachers are quite interested in these projects. They participate both as sponsors, observers, and even as judges for Shark Tank presentations. “When they see students doing cool things outside of the school, they want to be a part of that,” Navarra said.

For many, the adventure is only getting started, even though ISC culminates in a final presentation. Some initiatives have persisted after school, such as obtaining funding or partnerships.

“So I think it will create a very beautiful impact, and I think the environment will be beautiful because these are people that don’t have the money, or maybe the resources, to access technology.” Sierra said.

“The most important skills students learn in this project is that they have to collaborate, not just with their partners, but with outside institutions,” Navarra said.

However, the impact on the learner endures even if the initiatives fail. This initiative also leaves great teachings not only for seniors, but rather for the entire TCS community, and the point of this project is precisely that. Perfect solutions are not the focus of ISC. It’s about developing an innovative mindset, the kind that doesn’t hesitate to challenge preconceptions, ask pointed questions, and take the initiative to shape the future.

“We plan to leave the business to the hotel, so they can work for many years to come and expand it.” Nicholls added.

This project also helps seniors prepare for the future ahead, as well as for their professional development.

“I think this preparation helps Seniors for university life in the aspect that it prepares people a lot like for public presentations, public speaking, and in that way, people are able to like develop new skills that sometimes aren’t as developed during class, because one thing is presenting to your class, to your classmates and another is presenting to anyone in school. Even teachers, parents, and I think that the research ability is to find the a solution to a problem, it’s also a really important skill because sometimes in life and in university, you might be presented with a problem that you don’t know much about and you need to look for a solution that will benefit you and that also will benefit everyone and something that’s sustainable,” María del Mar Aarón, Grade 11, said.